


Accidents Happen

by laciechan



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: AU, Barista Lance, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Developing Relationship, Gay Keith (Voltron), Humor, Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, M/M, Mutual Pining, Rated T for language, Repaying Debt, Rich Kid Keith, Slow Burn, Uncle Lance is the Best Lance, a little shallura here and there, non-binary Pidge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-08
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2018-12-12 23:41:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 18,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11747595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laciechan/pseuds/laciechan
Summary: Lance finds himself in trouble when he accidentally crashes into a motorcycle. Said motorcycle just happens to be owned by one of the richest men in the city, Keith Kogane.





	1. The Start of Something New

Lance was screwed. He was supposed to drive his niece, Areli, to her last ballet recital of the year. The recital was at 12 PM. It was currently 11:45 AM. And, of course, Lance had just woken up. He shot out of bed, cursing under his breath as he threw on pants and a decent looking – and, hopefully, smelling – sweater. Lance rushed out of his apartment.

“Camila is going to _kill_ me,” he groaned, starting up his car. He sped across town. Thankfully, traffic was minimal that morning. Lance gulped as he pulled up to his sister’s house. Camila was standing in the very front of her house, arms crossed and lips upturned into a forced smile. She was in her scrubs, obviously pissed that Lance was making Areli late to the recital and herself late to work. Lance rolled down the passenger window. “Camila! _Buenos días_!” he nervously chuckled.

“Buenos días, my ass, Lance!” she huffed.

“Areli, tío Lance is here!” Out from the front was Lance’s six-year-old niece. Areli. She skipped to the passenger’s side of the car.

“Tío! You’re late!” she yelled, entering the car. Lance gave her an apologetic smile, pinching her blushed cheeks. Areli stuck her head out the window and gave her mom a kiss. “Bye Mamá!” Camila shooed the two away.

 

God must have been on Lance’s side that day. Traffic was low, there were still plenty of parking spots at the theater, and the program was 20 minutes behind. He walked his niece to the warm up room. “Finally!” exclaimed Allura, the ballet instructor. “I was worried something had happened to Areli.” Allura fixed the girl’s tutu and told her to warm up with the others.

“Yeaaaaah, that was completely my fault,” Lance scratched the back of his neck before looking back at Allura’s beautiful face. He sighed internally. The guy had a small crush on his niece’s ballet instructor. It was the main reason he had volunteered to take Areli to practices and recitals. Allura was a total British babe, and Lance couldn’t keep away.

Allura flashed a small smile, “Don’t worry, Lance. I’m just glad she made it in time.” Lance gave a shy smile in return. “Well, I should get the girls ready since we’re next…”

“Oh, uh, yep, you should totally, right. Break a leg, everyone!” Lance shot his characteristic finger guns at the tiny ballerinas before heading back to the lobby. He entered the auditorium and scanned the dark room for an open seat. Lance smiled as he spotted a perfect seat in the second row. He sneaked past the other rows and shimmied to the open spot.

“This seat’s taken.”

Lance looked up at the voice, squinting his eyes in the dark. It was some guy wearing a leather jacket (so last year, Lance thought), fingerless gloves, and – wait, was that a mullet?! “Chill, dude, let me take this seat for this next performance, and I’ll be out of your mullet,” Lance sat down, ignoring Mullet Head’s spluttering.

“The fuck? No, I told you someone is already sitting here.” Mullet Head angrily whispered. Lance rolled his eyes, why couldn’t this guy let him sit here for 10 minutes? “And it’s not a mullet,” Mullet Head added.

“Righhhht. Oh! Shhhh, it’s starting,” The curtains rose and there was his niece, front and center. Lance beamed at her, fishing for his phone to record the performance. Mullet Head was, gratefully, quiet throughout the rest of the program. Lance watched Areli do pirouettes one after another. She was getting better, Lance could tell. Camila definitely missed her daughter’s greatest performance yet. The performance ended and the auditorium erupted in claps.

“Can you leave now?” Lance scowled at Mullet Head’s voice. He is really killing his proud-uncle-vibe.

“Since you asked so _kindly_.” Lance stood up from his seat, glared at the stranger one last time, and left the auditorium.

 

Lance sat in one of the sofas in the lobby room, humming to himself as he waited for his niece. “Tío!” Areli ran towards him. Lance opened his arms for a hug. “How’d I do?”

Lance tapped her nose, “Amazing as always.” Areli giggled and went for another hug. Lance carried his niece up. “Another great performance means you get another great reward. How about we go get your favorite ice cream?”

Areli blinked in confusion, “but it’s too cold for ice cream!”

Lance gasped, “It is _never_ too cold for ice cream.” Areli snickered at the silliness of her uncle. He took his niece’s hand, “C’mon, our ice creams await.”

Areli continued to babble about the performance while Lance fastened her seatbelt. Lance backed out his car, looking over his shoulder for obstacles. “Tío! It’s Miss Allura!” Lance swung his head and found the silver-haired beauty. Areli rolled down the window, “Missss Alluraaaa!” Allura turned to the voice, smiled, then waved. Lance awkwardly waved back. Allura suddenly widened her eyes and started shouting at the two. Before he knew it, Lance’s car hit the motorcycle parked behind him.

“Shit!” Lance stopped the car and hurried out the car. Oh god, he had dented the thing _bad_. “I am so _fucked._ ” The motorcycle looked pretty expensive. Lance’s mind rushed to his bank account. Looks like he’s working overtime for the rest of his life. He rubbed his temples.

“It’s okay, man, it was an accident. Maybe the owner is a really chill dude, and he’ll understand that I was just ogling at the hot ballet instructor – oh god, I am so so so fucked,” Lance muttered. He checked the damage it did to his car and sighed. “Guess I’ll be working overtime in the afterlife, too.” Lance walked back to where Areli and Allura were standing, both of them with eyes full of concern. He assured the two it was going to be fine, but who was he kidding? He was dead meat once the owner-

“What the FUCK did you do to my bike?!”

Shit, he didn’t expect the owner to be here so soon. Lance exhaled, mentally preparing himself.

“Sir, I am so sorry. I-”

It was Mullet Head.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, this is my first Klance fanfic.  
> I hope you all enjoy!!  
> If there are any mistakes, please feel free to tell me ^^


	2. Hate at First Sight

Mullet Head was angry. Mullet Head was charging full speed to Lance. Mullet Head was also… kind of cute. Lance shook his head, no, this is NOT the time to check out the dude whose motorcycle you just destroyed. He raised both his hands, asking for mercy, “Dude, I am super sorry I backed into your bike. It was an accident, I swear!” Lance watched Mullet Head groan over his motorcycle.

“Red, you were so young.” Okay, wow, is this guy seriously talking to his bike? Mullet Head shifted his attention to Lance. His violet eyes narrowed at him. Mr. Mullet huffed, standing up as he patted the dirt away from his ripped jeans.

Lance gulped, “Look, buddy, I’m sorry about your bike. I’ll pay for the damages.” The biker snorted at Lance’s compromise.

“Look, _buddy_ , there’s no way you’ll be able to ‘pay for the damages.’ Red was the only one of her kind, and now she is completely ruined. No thanks to you.”

Lance widened his eyes at Mullet Head’s snarky comment. Anger began to bubble in his chest. The nerve of this guy! “Okay, I don’t know what your problem is, Mullet Head. I’m just trying to fix your damn bike.”

“My bike wouldn’t need fixing if you didn’t ram your car into her!” Mullet Head stomped toward Lance until the two were practically touching foreheads. “And don’t call me Mullet Head,” he breathed, purple eyes piercing into Lance’s blue ones.

Lance clenched his fist. He was ready to sock this guy in the face.

“Alrighty, I think that is enough violence for today,” a muscular man with oddly black-white colored hair sauntered between the two. Lance stepped back at the sudden interruption.

“Shiro! Get out of my way! He ruined my motorcycle,” Mullet Head crossed his arms in annoyance.

“Keith, calm down. This a situation can easily be resolved.” Lance was relieved that there was finally a level-headed person present.

Shiro turned to Lance, smiling apologetically. “I am so sorry about that. Keith has some… anger management issues.” Lance bit back a laugh, he sure does. Shiro rummaged through his pockets before handing Lance a business card. “Here’s my card. We’ll just exchange information for now, and take care of everything later.” Lance took the business card, skimming through the information.

“I don’t have a business card or anything so… can I just give you my number or something?”

Keith let out a quiet chuckle, “Of course you don’t have a business card.” Lance sent a glare his way. Shiro, obviously tired of this whole ordeal, ordered Keith to enter the black car next to his busted red motorcycle. Keith gave an exasperated sigh and trudged to the car.

“You can just write your number behind this card,” Shiro pulled out another business card and a pen for Lance to write with. Lance muttered a thanks and scribbled his number on the card. Shiro took the card form Lance, “Thank you. I’ll be contacting you within- Oh, Allura.”

Lance mentally slapped himself in the head. He totally forgot about Allura and Areli. Allura walked towards the two. “Shiro,” she started, “was this your bike?”

Lance stared at the two as they conversed, totally ignoring him. Wait a minute… Does Allura know these guys? Shit, Lance thought, he totally fucked up this time. Allura then faced Lance, “Lance, are you alright?” He forced a smile, nodding curtly.

Allura’s eyes shone with worry and concern, but accepted his response. “Shiro, I’m sorry about your brother’s bike. If there’s anything that I can do then…”

Lance tuned out the conversation. Allura was, once again, trying to save his fuck up. Allura wasn’t only his niece’s ballet instructor, she was basically his savior. Lance was unemployed, quit school for a while, his whole life was a big “what the hell are you doing?” Allura was the one that offered him a job at her friend’s café. Allura was the one who used her connections to get him in the engineering program at the Garrison College. Lance bit his lip hard. And now she’s saving him again. Lance opened his mouth to stop Allura from offering help, but Shiro interrupted.

“Oh no, Allura, I, um… it’s fine. Keith will forget about this whole thing by tomorrow,” Lance watched Shiro fidget. Shiro, this grown, muscular man was squirming under Allura’s gaze. A light red tint emitted across Shiro’s face. Lance grinned at him, knowingly. He may have a small crush on Allura, but this guy is practically infatuated with her.

“Shiro! Are you done flirting yet?” Keith yelled from the car. Shiro snapped back to reality.

“His Majesty awaits. I’m sorry for all the trouble, Lance. Oh, and great program Allura. Thanks for inviting me.” Shiro smiled at Allura.  
“You’re always welcomed, Shiro,” Allura returned with a fond grin. Shiro nodded shyly and left.

“What a day, huh?” Lance scratched his head. He glanced at Allura, confused at the lack of a reply, and it dawned to him. Any attention Allura gave him was long gone. All her focus was on the black car that was fading into the cityscape.

 

Pidge choked on their coffee. They cackled as Lance told his two friends the altercation that had occurred this morning. “Pidge, your home is calling for you,” Lance pointed to the nearby trash can.

Pidge wiped their mouth, “Lance, it’s official. You’re an idiot.” Lance frowned at their remark. Lance was at his workplace, Coran’s Café, sitting at a table with his two friends, Hunk and Pidge.

“Pidge, don’t be so mean,” Hunk chided. “Lance, if you need anything, I’m here, buddy.” Lance shot Hunk with a smile full of gratitude.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m here for you, too, you know,” Pidge nudged Lance with their elbow. “So, who was this mullet guy anyways?”

“I don’t know! He went berserk on me! He was psychotic! The dude was cooing to his bike! Cooing!”

Pidge snorted, “I know a guy like that at my internship. He’s the CEO’s son or something. The guy kisses the ground his motorcycle treads on.” Pidge rolled their eyes at the thought of the person and downed the rest of their latte.

“Yeah, well, maybe your guy and this guy should hook up or something. They can bike into the sunset together.” The three of them laughed. “Oh, that’s right. His brother gave me his business card.” Lance slipped the card out of his hoodie pocket.

Pidge took the card out of Lance’s hand. Their eyes scanned the card before throwing it across the room. “Oh shit. Lance, you are so fucked. So, so, so, so fucked,” Pidge shook their head in disbelief. Hunk went to retrieve the card and read the contents.

“Oh my god. Lance, you did not,” Hunk gaped at the card. Lance rose an eyebrow at his friends’ reaction.

“What?” Lance snatched the card out of Hunk’s hand. The card read Takashi Shirogane and had his email and phone number listed. Lance’s eyes trailed to the company logo and he dropped the card as if it was the plague. “K-Kogane Industries…? Isn’t that…”

“The biggest technology company in the world? _Yes._ The place I intern at? _Double yes_ ,” Pidge shook their head, “This is unbelievable. Lance, was the owner of the bike… Oh god, I don’t even want to say his name.”

“Keith Kogane?!” Hunk sputtered out. Lance was taken aback. The dots slowly connected in his head. Keith. From Kogane Industries. Keith Kogane. Oh my god, Keith Kogane, _heir to Kogane Industries_.

“Keith Kogane. He who must not be named,” Pidge shuddered. "I can't believe you pissed off my boss!"

Lance paled at the thought of having some rich kid ready to ruin his life.

“He didn’t even look rich! He looked like some loser biker with trashy hair and an out-of-season leather jacket!” Lance slouched in his seat. Out of all the people in the world, it had to be one of the richest guys in the world. It had to be the guy that was known to be an _asshole_ rich kid.

“Didn’t Keith Kogane make like 10 people disappear off the face of the Earth because they made eye contact with him?” Hunk bit his nails, glancing worriedly at Lance. “Aw, Lance, I don’t want you to disappear off the face of the Earth!”

Lance moaned, slamming his head on the table. This was the worst day of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, introduced all of the crew (except Coran)!!  
> Next chapter will be Keith centered and will reveal a little more about our favorite hotheaded biker  
> Hope you guys are enjoying the fanfic and thank you thank you thank you for all the wonderful kudos, comments, bookmarks, etc!!


	3. C'est La Vie

Keith thought of himself as a very forgiving person.

If someone stepped on his shoe? Forgivable. If an employee didn’t turn in a project on time? Forgivable.

The guy that destroyed his Red Lion motorcycle model? Unforgivable.

Keith tapped his foot in annoyance. What the fuck was the guy’s problem anyways? Keith clicked his tongue, the motorcycle was going to be released by their vehicle branch, Voltron, in about six months. And the prototype was unrepairable.

His father was going to be peeved.

The stranger flashed across Keith’s closed eyelids. The entire ambience of the guy pissed him off. His stupid, uncombed almond hair, the royal blue color of his eyes, the apologetic smile that clenched Keith’s heart… shit.

Keith slapped himself.

“Mr. Kogane?” Keith shot his head up, earning a quizzical look from his secretary, Ulaz. Keith blinked and turned to the rest of the room. The other executives shared the same look. Keith let out a forced, awkward chuckle and waved for the others to continue the meeting.

The handsome man popped back into his mind. Keith clenched his fists under the table, that guy was going to pay.

 

“I think you should just let it go. It was only a prototype, Keith,” Shiro reasoned. They were on their way to Keith’s home after a long, arduous work day. Keith huffed, knowing Shiro was right. The ruined prototype would be an easy fix, but it wasn’t about that. Keith had a sort of bond with the bike, and that bond could not be appeased by recreating the bike. It brought tears to his eyes. He wanted to do exceptionally well on this project. The motorcycle’s design was handcrafted by Keith himself; it was the first approval his father ever gave him.

“You alright, Keith?”

“I’m _fine_ , Shiro.”

The man’s smile returns from the back of his mind.

Keith was not fine.

 

Keith didn’t remember anything between the ride home and the next morning. The sun blazed right through his mahogany drapes, signaling Keith to start his day. He groaned, tugging his duvet over his head. He did not feel like working today. And maybe he won’t.

Keith popped his right arm out into the cold, wintry air, fishing for his charging phone on the bedside table. Without looking, he typed the only number he knew by heart. He placed his phone on his ear, waiting for the call to connect.

“Mr. Kogane. Good morning. I have your sched-”

“I’m not going to work today,” he mumbled.

“-ule… Wait, Mr. Kogane! You have a meeting with the German sect-“

“See ya, Ulaz.” Keith hung up, snickering after the call dropped. “Alright, time to get today started.” Keith poked his head out of his covers, shivered, and sunk back in.

”Too cold,” he murmured and drifted back to sleep, wrapped cozily around his blanket.

 

The banging on his bedroom door woke Keith from his slumber. Groaning from the unpleasant racket coming from his hallway, he begrudgingly left the comfort of his bed and opened the door.

Shiro greeted Keith with a smile of ten thousand suns. “I heard you ditched work.” Keith, immediately feeling the wrath of his best friend, tried to close the door. Shiro stuck his foot to stop the attempt, “Ulaz made me attend all the meetings this morning.”

“…I love you?” Keith let out a weak laugh.

 

Shiro dragged Keith out of his humble abode. “If you’re not going to do work, might as well hang out with me.” And this is why Shiro is the best, Keith thought.

They were currently on Main Street, aimlessly walking in the snowy vicinity. “How about some coffee,” Shiro checked his watch, “it’s 1 PM already, so lunch rush should be over.” Keith shrugged, not knowing anything about the area they were walking around.

“Is there a café nearby or something?” Truthfully, Keith was hungry. Shiro yanked Keith out of the house before he could even eat anything.

“There’s this one Allura recommended me. Her friend owns it apparently,” Shiro grinned, a faint red hue radiating from his cheeks.

Keith rolled his eyes. Shiro and his long-time crush, Allura, had been beating around the bush since they met. His best friend met the silver-haired goddess in a college self-defense class. Allura slammed Shiro’s pretty face to the ground during a lesson and he has been smitten ever since. Sometimes Keith wonders if he should just tell the two of them about each other’s feelings.

“There it is!” Shiro pointed to the last store on the corner. Keith whistled, it looked elegant. The café’s exterior was composed of two large glass windows on a modern, ebony wall. The windows were decorated with painted presents and stars, framed with silver tinsel. Keith squinted at the sign swirled with cursive.

“Coran’s Café?”

 

A bell chimed as the two entered the café. The pleasant, warm air and powerful aroma of coffee beans greeted them. Keith sharply inhaled, he loved the smell of coffee. Soft indie music enveloped the store, adding to its modern atmosphere.

“Welcome to Coran’s Café!” a ginger-haired man exclaimed from the counter, “I’ll be right with you.”

Keith observed the inside of the café. The coffee shop was dimly lit by lightbulbs hung by wires from the ceiling, all the furniture made of the finest blackwood Keith had ever seen. Bookshelves lined the perimeter of the store. Keith walked over, taking a random book of a shelf. Examining the book, he deduced it was written in French. He promptly returned the book back to its spot; that was one university course he wishes to suppress from his memory for the rest of his life.

“Keith, what do you want?” Shiro asked from the counter.

“Surprise me!” Keith shouted from across the café. He heard Shiro grumble incoherent insults.

Keith continued to scan through the books on the shelves. There were some notable classics, Jane Austen and Poe. There were foreign texts written in Russian, German, and other European languages that gave Keith an intense headache.

“Sorry I’m late, Coran!” the bell from the front door chimed. Keith turned, but only saw a flash of brown and blue.

“S’alright! Been a slow day,” Coran replied. “Now was that a medium hot white mocha and a small cup of hot chocolate?” Keith raised his brow, overhearing Shiro’s order.

“Yes. Whipped cream with that hot chocolate.” Did Shiro order him a cup of hot chocolate? Shiro noticed Keith’s scowl and winked in return.

Shiro and Keith picked a window seat. The café started to pick up after they ordered. “Lucky us, huh?” Shiro propped his head on the knuckles of his hand. “So, the German branch discussed about…” Keith sighed, let the lecture begin.

“Orders for Shiro!” Keith stood up, happy to get out of the earful Shiro was giving them. He strolled up to the counter, leaning on it with one hand. The barista serving them was not the man with the unique moustache. This man had familiar mousy hair and downcast sapphire eyes, concentrating on spritzing the hot chocolate with whipped cream.

“My niece _loves_ hot chocolate. Like, man, you don’t even know. She chugs it like its milk or something,” the barista quietly chuckles to himself. Keith gives a polite, half-hearted laugh in reply.

“Okay!” The barista straightens up, “One hot white mocha and a cup of hot chocolate for Shiro.”

He looks up at Keith and freezes. Keith stares back at him, weirded out by the gawking. Then, Keith surveys the barista’s face carefully and starts to notice the familiar features of his brown hair, blue eyes…

Oh my god. It’s the guy that wrecked his motorcycle.

Keith drops his hot chocolate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These two just can't keep away from each other ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)  
> Alright, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!  
> Next one is going to be a long one, so be on the look out for that update!!!


	4. First Degree Burns

Keith was livid and Lance could tell.

The coffee shop erupted in his screams. Keith gripped his burned hand, face contorted with pain. “Shit, dude,” Lance sped walked around the counter, “You gotta be careful with hot drinks.” He examined Keith’s burn. “Come to the back, let’s run this over water.” Lance took Keith from his unwounded hand and dragged him to the back of the coffee shop.

“Hey, Lance, I heard the yelling out there. What happen- AH!” Hunk jumped as soon as he turned. Lance gave his friend a panicked look before turning on one of the sinks and let it run until the water was cool enough. Keith placed his hand under the running water, sighing at the sensation.

“Feel better, buddy?” Lance cracked a grin at Keith.

Keith glanced at Lance, huffed, and turned off the sink.

“I think I’m just going to put these pastries out… and yeah…” Hunk dashed out to the coffee shop with two trays full of sweets.

Lance gulped, suddenly feeling really nervous with being alone with Keith.

The two stood there in silence, waiting for the other to speak. The quietness of the room broke with Shiro sprinting to Keith.

“Keith! Are you alright?” Shiro took Keith’s hand, examining the burn. “Keith, you have to be careful with hot drinks,” Shiro shook his head.

“I _was_ careful,” Keith said through clenched teeth. He tilted his head toward Lance. Shiro turned before noticing the barista.

“Oh! You!” Shiro pointed before breaking into a smile. “What a coincidence. I was going to call to meet up later today to talk about the damages.” Lance choked on his spit, he was not ready for that talk.

“Uh, oh, right. How… how much?” Lance asked weakly.

Shiro shifted his attention to Keith’s wound, “Before we get into that, do you have ointment and gauze?”

 

The three of them returned to the coffee shop, sitting at one of the tables. Shiro applied the burn relief ointment to Keith’s hand and wrapped the gauze loosely around the wound. Lance placed his hands on his thighs, wiping the sweat from his palms.

Lance did not like confrontation. He had hoped the two would send a bill to his apartment or something. Discussing about the accident would have made him feel like absolute shit.

“So… here’s the thing about the motorcycle,” Shiro taped the gauze before looking back at Lance. “It’s unrepairable.”

Lance shifted his eyes down to his knees, hands squeezing his apron. This was the fucking worst. The dent in his car was bearable, and he planned on making monthly payments to the dude’s bike.

“But… Keith and I talked last night, and we decided to let you off the hook!” Shiro slapped Lance on the back, laughing.

Lance and Keith widened their eyes at Shiro.

“What?!” the two of them stood up in total shock.

Shiro peered at Keith innocently, “You said you would.”

“When the fuck did I say that!”

Shiro narrowed his eyes, “Keith. You told me, straight to my face, to tell the guy that he was off the hook.”

Keith furrowed his eyebrows, not recalling this event at all.

“You literally said his smile could buy you a million-”

Keith slammed his hands over Shiro’s mouth. The events last night streamed through his mind like a bullet train. The two went to Keith’s house, shared a couple drinks… Keith rubbed his eyes, his slight headache this morning makes total sense now. He glared at his best friend, who sat sipping his mocha.

“Shiro,” Keith started before Shiro rose a hand to him.

“Sorry, Keith, I forgot to tell you. There’s another meeting in,” Shiro checked his watch, “oops, ten minutes. Ulaz called me while you played with your hot chocolate.” Shiro shot his friend a slight smirk. “I’m afraid I’ll have to leave the rest to you.” He got up and head for the exit.  

“Wait! What?! How am I supposed to get home?! You drove me here!” Keith shouted, chasing his best friend.

Shiro’s eyes crinkled, “Payback for this morning, buddy.”

 

Lance remained in his seat, watching Shiro and Keith shout at each other. He tapped his fingers on the table, unsure if he was really off the hook like Shiro had said. He straightened up as Keith stomped up to him.

“You’re not off the hook, if that’s what you’re wondering,” Keith glared, sitting across Lance.

Lance scratched the nape of his neck, “Um, how do you want me to pay for the damages then…?”

“I haven’t thought that far yet!”

For a hot guy, he wasn’t exactly the brightest.

“I kind of have to go back to work soon, so if you could just tell me.”

The line of customers slowly grew as Coran and Hunk struggled to finish the orders. Lance watched helplessly as Hunk came in and out of the kitchen.

Keith clicked his tongue, tapping his foot. He actually had _no damn idea_ how this guy was supposed to pay him back. It’s not like he could conjure a new prototype right before his eyes.

“Uh, Keith?” Keith shot his head up at the mention of his name. “The café is getting busy, so if you could hurry it up.” Lance forced a grin.

“Fuck it, just give me your number and I’ll just, I don’t fucking know text you or something,” Keith muttered, taking out his phone.

“Uh, don’t you already have my number?”

Keith rolled his eyes, “Shiro has your number, I wasn’t planning on saving it on my phone.”

“Right,” Lance let out a shaky breath before fishing for his phone.

The two exchanged numbers and head their separate ways.

Lance trudged back to the cashier, and Keith started his long journey home.

 

 

Keith was lost. He was never the greatest at directions. He kicked the snow in annoyance. He had been wandering around town for about an hour now. Keith tried to call Shiro, but, of course, he did not answer.

“Fuck you, Shiro,” he shivered, jamming his phone back in his coat pocket. It started snowing a while ago. Keith hated winter. He hated slipping on ice, having to shovel the snow out of his driveway, and the annoying Christmas music that played in every single store. If he heard another song about that damned reindeer, he would combust.

Keith tried to think of someone else to save him from his freezing hell. Ulaz was out of the question. His other employees would be busy with the upcoming projects from the other divisions… Damn, Keith thought, there was no one that could pick him up. Bus or taxi was out of the question. How do those even work anyways?

Keith stuck out a thumb, wiggling it to the empty street. After about five seconds, he retracted his hand back into his coat. “That always works in the movies,” Keith grunted and continued walking aimlessly around the city.

 

Lance wiped the sweat off his forehead. The random spike of customers died out, giving the baristas a well-deserved break.

“Good job, you two. Let’s restock the cases for now. I don’t think there will be anymore rushes for the rest of the day,” Coran ordered. Hunk and Lance nodded, heading back to the kitchen.

“So… Keith Kogane.”

Lance groaned inwardly, could he just spend the rest of the day without thinking about that rude rich kid?

“What about him?” Lance asked, shoving a tray of croissants in the oven.

Hunk shrugged, “What did you guys talk about? He seemed pretty heated out there.”

Lance scoffed, when was that guy not heated? He set the timer before turning to Hunk, “He said he’d contact me later or something. I don’t know.” He sighed, “Can we not talk about him? My head is pounding.”

“Sorry,” Hunk cracked a meek smile and returned to his sandwiches.

“I mean like, the dude is a total ass. He’s like a moody teenager, and don’t get me started with his fashion sense,” Lance continued to ramble and rant until the end of his shift.

 

“See you guys tomorrow!” Lance waved his goodbyes to Coran and Hunk. He zipped up his blue jacket and braced for the winter weather.

The overcast sky welcomed Lance in its winter domain. The Christmas lights of Main Street twinkled colorfully, reflecting their lights on the snow-covered sidewalks. Lance inhaled deeply; he loved everything about winter. He strolled down Main Street, pausing at each of the store windows. He grinned to himself as he shopped with his eyes.

“I’ll need to get that for little Tony for sure,” he muttered, eyes focused on the teddy bear sitting in the store’s windowsill. “Oh, Areli would love that,” he said, eyeing another toy. He continued to browse through each window until he named every single niece and nephew from his family. Maybe he should buy Allura a present this year, he thought, as he gazed at every jewelry store window.

Lance felt giddy inside. This was the best part of Christmas. He loved giving gifts. Money was never an issue to Lance. The most important thing to him was the other person’s smile. Lance sighed, however, this year there was _Keith_. He frowned, he hoped Keith would have some human decency in him to not sue or fine him for life. Hopefully, Lance thought, not until New Year’s.

Lance reached the parking garage, scanning for his petite blue car. A minute of searching later, he found his car in the corner. Lance rolled his eyes at myself, he could never remember where he parked his car.

Lance pressed the unlock button on his key and opened his car door. He sat down, shutting his eyes and sighing happily. He loved the cold, but he was not fond of the frostbite. Lance clicked his seatbelt on and put his key into the ignition. He blasted the car’s heater and shifted the car to reverse. He looked up at the rearview mirror. Purple glints stared back at his reflection.

Lance screamed.

 

“What the _hell_ are you doing in my car?!” Lance clenched his chest. Keith squinted at him before plopping back down, laying in Lance’s back seats.

“I was cold. Your car was unlocked,” Keith replied as if it was the most logical explanation.

“Dude, what the actual fuck?!” Lance’s heart was still racing. “How did you even find my car?”

“I ended up in the parking garage somehow and I recognized the imprint of my beloved bike,” he yawned, “may she rest in peace.”

“That doesn’t mean you can waltz into my car! This is… this is breaking and entering! I should call the cops on you!” Lance threatened. Keith scoffed at him before sitting back up.

“Guess I should call the cops about my bike then,” Keith remarked. Lance clenched his fist. Does this guy think he can just walk all over him?!

“Keith, seriously, get out of my car.”

Lance was tired. He just wanted to go home, soak his muscle-cramped body in a nice, hot bath, watch some Netflix, and call it a night.

Keith narrowed his eyes at Lance. He clicked his tongue before leaving the car.

And getting into the passenger seat.

“Keith!” Lance yelled in disbelief. Keith clicked the seatbelt on, looking at Lance expectedly.

“Drive me home,” he ordered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter!!  
> WOW!! We hit 100 kudos the last time I updated!!  
> Thank you sooooo soooo much to everyone who has taken their time to read my fanfic ahhhh it really does make my day  
> See you next update :')


	5. A Favor

“Turn left here… I think.”

Lance groaned, this was the fifth left in a row. He pursed his lips and turned the car in the indicated direction.

“Shit, it was a right.”

The barista cursed under his breath and made a quick U-turn.

“…or was it?”

Lance was vexed. He glared at Keith through his rearview mirror. Keith was staring at the window, muttering to himself.

“Keith. Where do you live?” Lance was starting to regret being nice. If it weren’t for the snowstorm warning, he would have ditched the billionaire.

Keith scrunched his face at the question. Oh god, Lance thought, he doesn’t even know where his damn house is.

“I think I live on Shadow Ridge Avenue?” Lance sighed in relief, he recognized that street. Annoyance, however, started to boil once again. Shadow Ridge Avenue was on the opposite side of town, approximately 30 minutes away from where they were.

Lance grinded his teeth, “Are you positive that you live on that street?”

Keith rolled his eyes, “Are you insinuating that I don’t know where I live?”

“ _Are you insinuating that_ \- Yes! Keith, I am _insinuating_ that you don’t know where your fucking house is!” Lance complained, stepping harder on the accelerator.

“Wow. Rude.”

 

They arrived at Shadow Ridge Avenue. Snow continued to fall as the two went around the neighborhood. Lance squinted, unable to see anything except white through his windshield.

“This is fucking impossible,” Keith crossed his arms, “also, turn up the heater. I feel like I’m in Antarctica.”

Lance begrudgingly changed the setting to high. “Do any of these houses look like yours?”

The neighborhood was surprisingly… middle class for someone like Keith. Lance expected the biker to have a mansion surrounded by gold and silver gates. The houses were average two-stories, all with beige walls and burgundy roof tops.

“No, my house is black.”

Lance stifled a laugh. The dude drives a bike, has a leather jacket, and apparently has a black house?

“You’re like an edgy teenager,” Lance snorted.

“Ed…gy? Is that a compliment or something?” Keith frowned.

“Yeah, man. It’s the greatest compliment of all time,” Lance shook his head. He watched as Keith’s broke his bemusement with a grin.

“Well, thanks Lance. I’m the edgiest person I know.”

Lance erupted in laughter.

 

Lance parked in front of the black house at the end of the street. The charcoal house contrasted heavily from its neighboring eggshell-colored houses and from the mountainous piles of snow that laid beside the sidewalks. The house’s architecture was the same as the rest of the community’s; a triangular red roof and a rectangular base.

“Alright. See ya,” Keith proceeded to open the door. Lance sneered, quickly locking the car doors. Keith manually unlocked the car and tried to leave, but Lance had locked it again.

“Lance, what the fuck?”

Lance crossed his arms, glaring at Keith. “I think you’re forgetting something.”

Keith rolled his eyes before pulling out his wallet, “I don’t usually carry cash so this $100 should be good right?” He waved the bill in Lance’s face. Lance swatted his hand away.

“I didn’t mean that!”

Keith blankly stared at Lance, holding the slapped hand to his chest. Lance glared at him, waiting for Keith to speak. Keith shifted his eyes, mouth pursed in a pout.

“Thank you.”

It felt good. Real good. Lance could feel the euphoria explode in his entirety. It was like a child opening a Christmas present; his heart quivered and he didn’t know why. He bit back a smile, scratching the nape of his neck.

“You’re welcome,” Lance mumbled, unlocking the door. Keith cleared his throat and left the car.

Lance watched Keith trudge through the snow, fumble with his house keys, and enter his home. Lance sat still in his car and watched the lights flicker on and then off in Keith’s home. He finally left after the last light on the second floor faded.

 

Lance didn’t hear much from Keith after that night. It was a relief, honestly. He thought the guy would pound him about the unfixable motorcycle. Lance returned to his normal routine: school, work, study, sleep. Keith was kept at the edge of his mind. Little things reminded Lance of the odd relationship the two had. The revving of an engine, the fragrance of hot chocolate, the fleeting chill of each snowflake that kissed Lance’s nose.

Lance stirred his tea. He was studying for his last final, but he couldn’t concentrate. His eyes were glazed from the constant reading, his neck ached from staying in the same position for hours. He laid his head on the textbook, groaning, “I don’t give two damns about integrals…” Lance glanced at the clock in his room. It was half-past five which meant he had been studying for six hours straight.

“I think it’s time for a break,” he muttered, drifting to his bed and falling fast asleep.

Lance was awoken by the blaring of his phone. He scrunched his face at the irritating noise.

“Hello?” he answered, rubbing the sleep off his eyes.

“I need a favor,” the voice stated.

Lance sat up in confusion. He checked the caller ID. He didn’t recognize this number.

“I’m sorry. I think you have the wrong number,” Lance yawned. He heard the caller huff in annoyance.

“It’s me, stupid.”

Lance grimaced at the insult. The snark in his voice was familiar, he thought, but the number wasn’t saved on his phone, so it shouldn’t be anyone important. Lance pondered for a minute, ignoring the voice that was complaining to Lance about his “audacity.”

And then it clicked.

“Keith!” Lance exclaimed.

“Why do you sound so happy? It’s gross.” Lance got out of bed, beaming. It was weird to him how thrilled he was to hear from the strange biker. If this were two weeks ago, he would have been annoyed at the guy. Now, it was as if a friend he hadn’t heard from in years popped back into his life.

“Keith, how’ve you been?” Lance brewed himself another cup of tea, humming to himself. Maybe he was giddy because he was devoid of social interactions for a whole week? Hunk and Pidge were busy studying for their finals, Camilla took Areli to Abuela’s for the week, and Coran didn’t schedule him due to finals. Lance nodded as he reasoned to himself; he was a person that lived on human interaction.

“Good…? Anyways, I need a favor.”

Keith’s snappiness awoken Lance from his five-second nirvana. Annoyance began to creep at his side once more.

“I’m good as well. Thanks for asking,” Lance sipped his tea, rolling his eyes.

“I need you to come with me. Get dressed for a formal event. I’ll pick you up in 10 minutes.”

Lance choked on his drink. “W-wait what?! Keith, what do you mean? Hey, don’t hang up on me- HEY!”

The phone signaled the end of the call. Lance called Keith over and over, but he did not pick up. On the last attempt, Lance waited until he was redirected to the voicemail.

“Hey, it’s Keith. I’m not here at the-“

“FUCK YOU!”  


And he hung up.

 

Keith fixed his necktie before checking his outfit in the mirror. Shiro picked the outfit for tonight’s bothersome event; a classic black suit and a burgundy tie. He sighed, slicking his hair back. Usually he didn’t go to any of his father’s events, but they had a slight altercation about a week ago.

His father visited Keith’s branch of the company. He knew at the time, too, that his father wanted something from him. He expected a visit from his father that week. Thankfully, he warned all his employees beforehand. What he didn’t expect was his father’s request.

“You’re getting married,” he had told Keith. Keith, of course, exploded. “Her name is Shay Balmera, one of the potential heirs to the Balmera Corporation,” he lit a cigarette, “but with a marriage to you, she won’t be a _potential_ heir… she _will_ inherit the company.”

“And you just expect me to be okay with this?” Keith clenched his jaw.

“It’s for the sake of the company. Balmera Corporation has position of the rarest materials on the planet. Once you marry Miss Balmera, we’ll have access to those materials,” his father smirked.

Keith slammed his fist on the desk, “I will _not_. This is _my_ company, I get to make my own decisions.”

“This wouldn’t even be yours if it weren’t for me! You dare forsake my generosity?!”

“You can shove your generosity up your damned ass!”

His father slapped him across the face. “Insolent! You’re just like your mother,” he spat, “I should have chosen Takashi to raise as my heir.”

“Leave. Shiro. Out. Of. This!” Keith yelled.

The two continued to fight until his father grew tired of the argument.

“If you do not respect my wishes, you will regret it. Don’t want to marry that girl? Fine! I’m having a Christmas event next week with the wealthiest families in the world. Better hope to find someone else at that party or count your blessings, boy.” His father threatened everyone in the branch company before marching out the door.

Keith stared at his reflection, the swelling on his cheek was gone, but it still stung. There was no way he was going to listen to his father. He was still seething in rage, thirsting for revenge. His father made a fool out of him in front of his entire company. Keith smirked, so why not make a fool out of his father in front of the world’s wealthiest families?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo sorry I haven't updated in so long! Uni started again and work and all that blah blah...  
> I'm going to try and update as often as I can!  
> My beta will drag me to the computer if she has to haha
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Things are getting a little interesting huh?  
> See you next time :)


	6. For Richer, For Poorer

“Stupid Keith,” Lance grumbled.

He sighed as he buttoned up his dress shirt. “What the hell was he talking about anyways?” He checked his outfit in the mirror and let out another sigh. He hoped this was fit for tonight’s outing. Lance fell onto his bed and glanced at the forgotten textbook on his desk. He rolled his eyes, he could already see the big fat “F” on his calculus final. “Who needs math anyways?!” the engineering student exclaimed. Lance checked his phone for any sign of Keith. Nada. His lips tugged down to a frown.

Lance couldn’t understand Keith at all. They weren’t really friends… but they weren’t really enemies either. Lance hoped this one favor would be the end of this weird relationship. After tonight, it would be over. His debt (hopefully) would be forgiven. No more angry-motorcycle-rich kid.

The loud, annoying bangs on Lance’s apartment door made his stomach turn. He was nervous. Keith didn’t explain anything to him about this “formal event.” He was going in blind. “If I pretend I’m not here maybe he’ll leave,” Lance whispered to himself. The knocking continued, increasing in speed and in decibels.

“Lance, I know you’re in there!”

“Damn it,” Lance sighed. He walked over to open the door and there stood Keith.

Lance couldn’t breathe.

Gone was the punk motorcycle gloves, leather jacket, and untamed raven hair. Keith’s dark hair was slicked back, but retained its characteristic fluff. He wore the standard hot-rich-kid suit and it did wonders to his built figure (thank you Armani GODS, Lance thought). Lance’s stomach tingled from looking at Keith. Keith quirked his eyebrows at Lance, squinting his eyes. Lance paid no heed to Keith’s bemusement, he was too busy admiring the way his dimly lit porch light shone in Keith’s violet eyes. His eyes, Lance thought, had such a dark hue that no one could tell they were actual amethysts. Keith was a sculpture handcrafted by God, Michelangelo himself would be envious.

“Lance.”

At the call of his name, he snapped out of his trance-like state. “Uhhhh yes?” Wow, Lance, very intellectual.

“I’ve been calling your names for… oh whatever. Come on, we’re late enough as it is,” Keith huffed and trudged down the stairs to the black car awaiting the two.

“…right,” Lance muttered under his breath. This was reality, not some fairy tale, Lance. This night will be the last time you see Keith.

 

The venue of the party had Lance awestruck. It was practically a palace! The mansion was surrounded by inked iron gates, neatly-trimmed hedges and sculptured trees lined the driveway to a fountained roundabout. “Holy quiznak…” Lance gaped, staring out the car window. Keith snorted, shaking his head.

“Quiznak, indeed,” Keith murmured. Lance’s ears twitched at the bitter tone.

“So, what exactly is this event, anyways? Didn’t really give me anything to go off of.” Lance was being taken somewhere by a complete (basically) stranger, he realized. “This isn’t like some high-class cult, right? I’m not going to get sacrificed or anything?”

Keith rolled his eyes, “No, Lance, it’s just a Christmas party that my ass-of-a-father is throwing.” Lance nodded slowly, twiddling his thumbs at the tint of anger he heard in Keith’s voice.

“Not fond of your dad?” Lance questioned. He already knew the answer. There were multiple magazines that covered the subject of Keith’s relationship with his father.

Mr. Kogane was a man who built Kogane Industries from the ground up. He was a terrifyingly powerful man. Lance mentally shivered. He has never met the man in person before, but seeing his pictures in tabloids alone instilled fear.

Keith strained a smile on his face, “My father and I just don’t see eye-to-eye at times.” Keith’s statement marked the end of the conversation. Lance slouched in his seat, this was going to be a long night.

 

Lance, once again, was awestruck. The two had just walked in and Lance was slapped in the face by the gap between his economic class and Keith’s. There was a chandelier the size of Lance’s car! All decked out in diamonds! Lance was about to faint; these people were using his tuition as a light ornament. “Master Keith, your father will be pleased to see you have made it to his party. I will inform him right away,” the butler bowed to the two of them, “however, may I ask who this young man is?” Lance gulped, shifting his eyes between the butler and Keith.

Keith plucked some lint off his coat before replying. “Oh, just a good friend. Don’t worry, Thace, I’ll keep him away from trouble.” The butler bowed in response and showed the two to the ballroom.

Never in his twenty-something years of living did Lance think he would be attending one of the biggest Christmas parties of the year. There were rows of tables decked out in cakes and pastries. Glasses of wine and champagne were being given to the attendees by butlers and maids. Lance recognized the faces he had seen on the “richest people alive” lists released by multiple news media. It was overwhelming, Lance’s legs were about to give up. Keith, sensing Lance’s anxiety, nudged him before whispering into his ear, “It’s alright. I’ll be with you.”

Lance hastily nodded, blinking into the blinding cascades of the diamond-decked Christmas tree. Keith became Lance’s crutches that night. With poise, Keith greeted all the guests and thanked them for attending his father’s event. He made sure to introduce Lance to the esteemed attendees. Lance tried his best to whimper out a reply. After a while, Lance got used to the flow of meeting and greeting. He gained enough confidence to even crack a few jokes to some of them, with each a burst of laughter and a pat on the back was earned. Lance was… enjoying himself.

Keith took Lance to the balcony for a break. “How’s the rich kid life going for you?” Keith smirked, leaning his weight on the balcony ledge. Lance followed suit, gazing up to the moon, “I… I’m having a lot of fun. Surprise, surprise. I’m known for being the life of _any_ party.” Keith chuckled softly at Lance’s jester.

The two fell in a comforting silence. Lance shut his eyes, basking himself in the moonlight, and breathed the icy night breeze in. This was one of the best nights of his life; one of the best he has had in a while. For a split second, just a split second, Lance’s heart tinged with sadness. Sadness of the coming end to such a good night; sadness of the coming end to having any kind of connection to Keith. It’s funny how he was eager to end this night and now… Lance sighed, his breath forming a mist in the winter night. He would savor tonight as much as he could.

The live orchestra started playing a waltz, Lance noted. He heard this piece a multitude of times when he used to stay at his niece’s ballet practices. Lance grinned to himself. “Does milady care to dance?” he turned to Keith, jokingly, extending a hand to the raven-haired man. Lance bowed his head, waiting for Keith’s typical sarcastic remark, but it never came. Confused, Lance lifted his head up.

Oh. _Oh_.

Keith’s cheeks flushed a strawberry-pink, his eyes twinkling as he stared into Lance’s. Keith opened his mouth to say something, anything, but shut it immediately. “Excuse me,” he muttered, making his way back to the party.

And Lance was left there, standing alone on the balcony, his offered hand, empty.

 

Lance moped around the party, looking for his mullet partner. It was as if Keith just… poofed. Lance nodded to himself, yes, he simply just poofed. He met with some of the people Keith introduced to him earlier, conversed about idle things, and left when both parties met the inevitable boredom. Lance checked his watch, it was nearing midnight now. He frowned and tried to think of what he did wrong to cause Keith to ditch him. The color on Keith’s cheek and the bewilderment in his eyes stuck to Lance’s mind. He scratched the nape of his neck. He was only joking around so why…

From his peripheral vision, he caught sight of what he thought to be Keith’s hair.

Lance beamed, “Keith-”

Lance stared into the eyes of what seemed to be an older version of Keith. The man, however, lacked the lustrous lilac of Keith’s eyes. It was a dull color, closer to gray than purple. Wrinkles appeared between the eyebrows of the man as he tried to identify who Lance was before deeming him as unfamiliar. He made his way toward Lance, towering over him.

Lance gulped.

It was Mr. Kogane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah... remember when I told everyone I would update as often as I could?  
> life happened :///  
> I'm soooo sorry for not updating in so long!  
> Never try to juggle 18 creds and a full time job hahahaaa..,,  
> Anyways!  
> I'm back and better than ever!!  
> New Years is coming and one of my resolutions is DEFINITELY to finish this fanfic!  
> Thanks everyone for taking the time to read my work andddd I love reading your comments  
> they make my day 10xxx better :))))))))  
> See you next update!  
> Have a wonderful New Year everyone!


	7. The Moon, The Stars, and...

Lance nearly shat himself.

He recognized Keith’s eyes and nose on the man, everything else about him was foreign. The man stood almost a foot taller than Lance, his broad shoulders were akin to a brick wall. He was freshly shaven, but Lance could still recognize the man even with a ghost of his characteristic beard. Mr. Kogane. It is _the_ Mr. Kogane. And he was glaring at Lance.

“And who the hell are you?” His voice boomed. Lance felt the eyes of the nearby aristocrats. Lance gulped and tried to respond, but his voice was gone. Fear had enveloped his entirety. He just stared up at the gigantic man, gaping.

“Lance. Lance McClain. He is _my_ guest, father.” Keith’s voice has never felt so good to hear. Keith wrapped his arm around Lance’s shoulder as if he knew Lance’s legs had jellified.

Keith’s father glare intensified as Keith entered the scene. The live orchestra stopped playing and the voices of the partygoers died down. Either that or Lance had become deaf from the utter shock.

“Keith,” his father smirked, “so glad you could make it to this grand event.”

Keith’s grasp on Lance’s shoulder tightened. Lance was too afraid to let out a yelp of pain. Being so close to Keith, Lance could hear him grind his teeth in anger. Keith forced a smile, “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Keith’s father let out a chortle, the others around them mimicked the laughter. Lance let out a weak chuckle, pressured by the somewhat light atmosphere. The power of money, Lance thought.

“I believe I have someone I must introduce you to, Keith,” the Cheshire smile on Keith’s father’s face sent a shudder down Lance’s spine. Mr. Kogane gestured to the petite girl that stood behind the two boys. The girl sported bob haircut, her ebony hair slight curled. Freckles speckled the skin under her chestnut eyes. She held such grace and elegance by simply standing there.

“Shay Balmera,” Mr. Kogane introduced. Shay tucked her hair behind her ear, eyes looking at anywhere but Keith and Lance. She gave a curt nod to acknowledge the two. Lance has heard of her before, somewhere. The Balmera Corporation was another superpower company. It was known for its energy resources and acquirement of the rarest metals on the planet. “I’ve been with Ms. Balmera since the event started and I must say she is quite the lady… and very eager to marry you, Keith.”

Lance widened his eyes. Keith clenched his fists, eyes burning with rage. Was Keith… engaged to someone? Of course, Lance thought. Keith was from another world from his. His chest pounded, looking back and forth from Keith and his apparent fiancée.

The crowd murmured, strings of conversations reached Lance’s ears; a mutter of congrats, a quizzical tone of who the bride-to-be was… He felt the pressure in his head rise with every whisper.

“Father, what is going on?” Shiro swayed through the crowd and stood in front of Keith, a protective gesture.

Mr. Kogane upturned his chin, “Takashi, perfect timing. Perhaps you can persuade your failure of a brother.”

Brother? Lance took a step back in confusion. He thought that Shiro was an assistant to Keith, a secretary at the least. He had no idea that the two were related. The crowd’s volume exploded at Shiro’s appearance.

“It’s the first son… I thought he was sent away to live with _that_ other woman…”

“The bastard son is here…”

“Takashi dare show his face here after what _his_ mother did to the company…”

Bewilderment crossed Lance’s face. Keith took note of Lance’s expression and strengthened his clench.

“Shiro, this is between my father and I,” Keith gently nudged Shiro out of the way. Their father huffed in amusement.

“Oh? Have you finally grown up, Keith? You’re not going to hide behind your brother like you used to?” sneered Mr. Kogane. Lance was now getting impatient with Keith’s father. The most powerful man in the city was such a… brat. He was sure that his niece was better behaved than this middle-aged man. “Returning to the matter at hand, I assume that you have your answer to my proposition. What a fine event to announce the joining of two elitists.”

Lance shrunk, as did his heart. Was this the reason Keith brought him to this damned party? Get his hopes up and then the finale of the night was this… engagement? It didn’t make any sense, yelled one side of Lance’s mind, the soft glances and the dance on the balcony! He’s an asshole, yelled the other side, no surprise he would end it with you this way; not like you had anything between you two anyways. Lance was just about to bolt out.

“Actually Father, you are correct to assume my purposes this evening.” Lance tried to slip away, heart already breaking from the confidence in Keith’s voice.

“I’d like to introduce our esteemed guests to my fiancé.”

Keith grabbed Lance’s retreating arm. One arm wrapped around Lance’s waist, the other behind Lance’s brown locks.

 

And he kissed him.

 

Keith kissed Lance.

The color drained from Lance’s face. He couldn’t breathe. All he could feel was the moist, soft pair of lips that were on his.

The crowd’s gasps fell unto deaf ears.

Lance’s world simply stopped.

Keith let go of Lance, his arm still encircled around his waist.

“I’d like to introduce everyone to the love of my life, Lance McClain.”

 

 

“KEITH WHAT THE HELL!” Lance smacked the heir’s shoulder profusely.

They were in Keith’s car now. They both ran out to the valet after their announcement. Lance could remember the contorted face of Mr. Kogane, the baffled face of Shiro. This was just too much to handle.

“So, when were YOU going to tell ME about OUR engagement, _dear_?” Lance said through his teeth. He looked in the rearview mirror and saw millions of paparazzi vans following their car. He could already see the flashing lights outside his apartment window. God, Lance thought, if you’re out there, I take it back; please let this man break my heart and leave me for that girl.

“Calm down, Lance. I panicked.”

“You PANICKED? And now the WHOLE WORLD thinks we’re… you and I… because you PANICKED?!” Lance let out an exasperated groan.

“Okay, well, what would _you_ have done in my situation? I didn’t think tonight would end that way either!” Keith retorted, crossing his arms. “So, the entire world thinks we’re involved, whatever.”

He wasn’t getting it, Lance thought. Damned rich kid.

“You kissed me in front of the most important people in the world. This is going to all over the news. You don’t think this is a big deal? I’d like to know what a big deal to you is then!”

The two glared at each other before turning to their respective windows.

They were silent until they reached Keith’s house.

“Um. Keith. What the fuck? Did you forget my address or something because-”

Keith grabbed Lance’s shoulders, hands clasped around his lean biceps.

“Look, Lance, I’m sorry that I dragged you into all of this. That wasn’t my intentions, but until this situation clears out… you’re going to have to stay with me.”

Lance opened his mouth to argue but Keith shook his head.

“It’s all my fault. I know. When I’m angry I don’t think. I’m going to fix this… one way or the other. Until then, the safest place is my house.” Keith stared into Lance’s eyes, trying to get his message across.

All Lance could think about was the kiss and flushed red.

Keith let go and entered his house.

Lance blinked and realized that the paparazzi stopped following them and that the chauffeur was gone.

It was just Lance, the moon, the stars, and the pitter-patter of his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY GOT THE TIME TO WRITE THIS.  
> I SWEAR I WILL GET BETTER AT THIS!  
> ENJOY!!  
> UNTIL NEXT EDIT


	8. Deal or No Deal

Keith slammed his head on the kitchen counter.

He cannot believe he kissed Lance in front of all his colleagues… his father…

God, maybe he needed to take those anger management classes again.

His mind erupted in headaches; this was a horrible situation; and he had dragged Lance into it.

Keith looked up from his lonely marble island and found Lance collapsed on his leather sofa. The guy could sleep even when the entire world had their eyes on him, Keith chuckled. He walked over to the sofa and peered over, watching Lance’s chest rise and fall. Keith softly smiled at the sight.

He had a rough day, Keith thought, tucking the sleeping brunette’s hair behind his ear. “I’m sorry for kissing you like that,” he whispered, covering Lance with a nearby blanket. Keith shook his head, the memory of Lance’s lips reappeared. He had some feelings for Lance, he admitted. It wasn’t love nor like; Keith didn’t have a word to label… this. They’re fiancés now, he supposed.  Keith scratched the nape of his neck, this was all too much for one night. He retired to his bedroom, plopping his head face-first into his pillow. Keith would deal with all this trouble tomorrow morning, for now, it was just him and his dreamless slumber.

 

Keith woke up surprisingly warm the next morning. His bedroom was usually freezing in the morning, Keith thought. He shrugged in his half-sleep state and cuddled closer to his body pillow.

“Mmmm…”

Keith’s eyes shot open. His vision adjusted to the newfound sunlight in his room. A mop of brown tickled his nose and Keith was suddenly hyperaware of the lanky arms that encircled his torso.

Lance had snuck into his bed.

“LANCE!” Keith screamed, pushing himself off the bed.

Lance bolted awake from the force, “What? What’s going on?!”

A blush sneaked across Keith’s face. Had Lance been there all night long? Keith liked to sleep with his body pillow, snuggling with it throughout the night; said body pillow was nowhere to be seen on the bed. Oh God, Keith covered his face in shame, he was cuddling with Lance all night.

Lance rubbed his eyes, blinking sleepily at Keith.

Keith realized that Lance was out of the party attire he had fallen asleep with on the living room sofa. In fact, Lance was only in his boxer briefs. The blush on Keith’s face grew darker. He turned his head away from the sleepy Adonis in his bed, finding a sudden, odd interest in his dark carpet.

“At least sleep with clothes on,” Keith muttered, tracing patterns into the floor.

Lance squinted before screeching and covering his body with the comforter.

“WHAT THE HELL, KEITH?!”

“What?! The fuck?! I didn’t do shit! You’re the one that snuck into MY room!” Keith yelled back.

Lance shrunk into the comforter, “I did?”

Keith nodded, standing up from his bedroom floor.

“Well… um… good morning,” Keith’s voice cracked. He wanted to die, Keith thought, this was so awkward.

Lance snorted, “Morning.”

“Uh, I hope you had a good nigh-”

“Keith.”

“-t. And I’m-”

“Keith, please.”

“What?” Keith tilted his head in confusion.

“You’re too awkward for me. Go… cook breakfast or something.”

“Right,” Keith cleared his throat and marched to his kitchen, trying to ignore Lance’s laughter.

 

Keith had no idea what he was doing. Usually, he would go out for his meals or Shiro would come and cook for him. He burnt the attempt-pancakes.

“What are you making for breakfast? Charcoal a la mode?”

Lance entered the kitchen in one of Keith’s bath robes and fuzzy house slippers. Keith quirked an eyebrow at Lance.

“Make yourself at home, why don’t you…” he shook his head, returning his attention to his burnt pancakes.

“What’s mine is yours, my _husband-to-be_.” Lance smirked, sitting in one of the kitchen island chairs.

“Are you still mad about last night? Look, I said I was sorry. I know I shouldn’t have-” Keith bit his lip and sighed.

“Shouldn’t have what?” Lance took an apple (Keith didn’t know he had fruit in his house) out of the basket on the counter and bit into it. “Professed your love to me to the entire world? KISS me in front of the entire world?!” Lance huffed, munching harder on his apple.

“Lance, stop being such a kid,” Keith rolled his eyes, turning off the stove and throwing the pancakes into a nearby trash can. “Plus, you owe me.”

Lance frowned, “I _owe_ you?” Keith bit his smirk back, so he forgot about it.

“Yes, Mr. McClain. I believe you owe me a million-dollar motorcycle,” Keith showed an empty palm to Lance, “if you, in fact, do not owe me as you claim you don’t, I believe I haven’t received your collateral.”

Lance’s jaw dropped. A grin smeared onto Keith’s face. If Lance wasn’t going to play nice, he wouldn’t either.

“That piece of junk was a million dollars?!” Lance grew pale, dropping the apple core out of his hand.

“It is NOT a piece of junk,” Keith pointed at Lance, “you better watch yourself, McClain, or that’s another half a million onto your debt.”

Lance pursed his lips, clenching his teeth to prevent the insults from escaping his mind.

“Look, Keith, I’m a broke college student. I don’t know how you expect me to pay you a million dollars. That’s like my tuition to the tenth power.”

Keith smirked, shrugging, “Your problem, not mine.”

Lance leaned back on his seat in disbelief.

Okay, Keith thought, maybe I’m having too much fun.

“Or… you can do me a favor.”

“Oh, what the hell. What is it?”

Keith leaned over the kitchen counter so that Lance would be at his eye level.

“Keep this fake-engagement thing up.”

Lance shook his head, “Hell no.”

“Lance-”

“Hell. No.” Lance crossed his arms. “You said you would fix this. This was your fault. You fix it. If anything, you should be in debt to me.”

Keith mimicked Lance’s arms, “Why would I be in debt to you?”

“How would you feel if I told the tabloids this was just a ploy? A kiss without consent? Sexual harassment?” Keith groaned, Lance was upping his game.

“Fine, how about this. Fake the engagement and you’re off the debt,” Lance opened his mouth to retort, “AND. And. You don’t have to worry about any expenses until you graduate and earn your degree. Bills, tuition, clothes, anything. I’m practically paying you to fake this whole thing.” The business side of Keith had come out. He knew how to make an offer someone couldn’t refuse.

Lance gulped, “That’s a free five years.”

Keith gave a curt nod, “I’ll even throw an internship into the deal. Interning at Kogane Industries? I could pull a few strings. That would make an amazing resume-”

“Fine,” Lance begrudgingly said. “You know I can’t refuse something like that.”

Sudden guilt struck Keith’s heart. No, he didn’t want their relationship to be like this. His business mindset was taking over. “Lance, look. I don’t want you to feel like you’re… being forced into this. How about we try this out for a month or two. The tabloids should die down by then. I’ll keep the end of my bargain. No strings attached. Just… please do this favor for me. It’s the safest route. The engagement will end, and we’ll just fade from each other’s lives.”

Lance’s frown softened a little. He itched the side of his cheek, “I guess it’s fine if it’s only for a couple months.”

Keith smiled, “Thanks Lance, you’re the best.”

Lance shot finger guns at him, “And don’t you forget it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooooooooow.  
> I'm slowly getting the hang of my schedule, so here's another update!  
> Can't promise I'll be updating regularly, but it will definitely be at least  
> a biweekly update!  
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter!!  
> I got a lot of subscribers/kudos/comments from the last chapter and  
> gave me immense motivation to write this one!  
> Thank you, thank you to all of my readers!  
> See you in the next update!


	9. Shiro and Keith

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just an FYI:  
> This chapter will take place right after Keith and Lance left the party and will be in Shiro's POV!!  
> Enjoy!!

Needless to say, the party got shut down after Keith’s stunt.

Shiro could already feel his wrists cramping from the mountains of paperwork on his desk. He turned to his father. The man was fuming with anger. Mr. Kogane’s eyes were bloodshot, his face contorted with decade-long rage, teeth grinding as he tapped his foot. Shiro couldn’t remember the last time his father was visibly angry.

Takehiro Kogane was a diplomatic, stoic man in the eyes of a public; a fraud in Shiro’s eyes. His father was a ruthless man. He had observed Mr. Kogane’s aggressive attitude towards Keith. Although, the man never acted this way towards Shiro. It was unfair to Keith. Shiro knew the reason all too well.

“Takashi, tell our guests that the party is over,” Mr. Kogane regained his composure. He leaned into Shiro, whispering, “And bribe as many of them as you can to keep their mouths shut about tonight.”

Shiro gulped but complied to his father’s order. He would have to deposit money in so many accounts in the morning, Shiro sighed.

“Shiro, was that Keith and… Lance?” He turned his attention to the woman he spent most of his night with. “I didn’t expect Lance to be here tonight, nor did I know he had that kind of relationship with your brother,” her eyes shone in confusion and concern. He let out another sigh, grabbing a hold of both her shoulders and gave a reassuring squeeze.

“What happened was definitely out of character for Keith. He hasn’t told me about any engagement either, so that kiss was most likely just to piss his father off.” He couldn’t believe that kid. Maybe he should call up that anger management coach again and schedule for more meetings.

“Your father,” Allura grasped both of his hands, pulling them together so that her hands covered his, “he’s your father, too.”

“I believe he renounced that title years ago,” his face crinkling into a bitter smile.

It was no secret to the upper class of what caused Shiro to lose his heir entitlement to Keith. As prominent as the scar across his face, the memory never seemed to fade away from Shiro’s mind. Shiro was about ten-years-old when his younger brother appeared in his life. The five-year-old Keith had some resemblance to Shiro and Mr. Kogane. It was the eyes, Shiro recalled. Keith’s eyes were a bright purple. It was a rare genetic condition, a medical term Shiro couldn’t place his finger on, but it was a trait the Kogane family was known for; something that Shiro lacked. Keith’s mother came to the manor one day, claiming that Mr. Kogane was the father of her child.

And then Shiro’s life got turned upside-down.

Keith’s mother apparently leaked some information to a reporter and the universe was waiting for Mr. Kogane to take action. Two sons, but one company to inherit. Shiro remembered his mother’s broken heart, Keith’s mother’s harsh words, and Mr. Kogane’s decision.

There were already concerns about whether Shiro was Mr. Kogane’s actual son. Sometimes, Shiro questioned it himself. He was half-tempted a couple years back to take a DNA test, but the truth terrified him. The final event that triggered Shiro’s and his mother’s disownment was the embezzlement incident. His mother got caught stealing company assets. Mr. Kogane was furious, the tabloids ate that shit up. Shiro didn’t want to believe that his mother would commit such a heinous act, but all the clues led to her.

The two of them packed their bags and moved to his mother’s hometown. His mother was well-off before marrying Mr. Kogane, but in the eyes of her family, she was a disgrace. She picked up a job in a local food joint and made ends meet there. She wouldn’t let Shiro take any jobs either. She blamed herself. She didn’t want Shiro to be burdened when he had school to worry about. So, Shiro worked his ass off. He ended up getting a job offer from a branch of his father’s company. He was glad his father recognized his potential. Shiro remembered telling his mother about it as he placed his items in moving boxes.

That was when his mother snapped.

He didn’t know what set her off, but she was furious with him – to the point of splashing boiling water on his face. He knew it was an accident, even through the pain. Shiro rubbed his facial scar, it still felt new.

“Shiro?” Allura titled her head. “You’ve been quiet for a while.”

Shiro shook his head, “It’s nothing. Just reminiscing.”

 

Shiro stayed with his father after the party guests were gone. Allura had gone home after thanking him for the invitation.

“That unruly child… nothing but disrespect,” Mr. Kogane grumbled, “Ulaz! I want you to bring him to my office first thing in the morning!”

Keith’s secretary nodded, hiding a scowl only meant for Shiro to see.

“Takashi, I trust that you will handle this situation. Your dimwitted brother. Ha! Perhaps I should have disowned _him_!” Mr. Kogane stomped out of the ballroom.

Shiro was loyal to Keith.

Some may argue that Keith is the reason for his life’s hardships, but he loved his brother. In truth, the person that gave him the job offering was Keith, not his father. After the issue with his mother, he went to the company to accept his job. He had no one now; no mother, no father. Keith was his saving grace.

Shiro had absolute gratitude for Keith. The young child was replaced with a reserved teenager. Shiro was impressed with the work someone who was barely eighteen could do. Keith was a protégé. He was meant to lead, and his branch company’s revenue showed it. Through the course of five years, Shiro became Keith’s assistant and best friend. Albeit, it was awkward at first. Working for a guy who kind of ruined your life? Yeah, Shiro thought, the two tried to avoid each other at all costs.

Shiro chuckled, he loved Keith. He wouldn’t trade his half-brother for anything.

And he would not stand his father’s treatment towards him.

 

Shiro went home to his apartment. He checked his phone the moment he got home and frowned. He had texted Keith an hour ago, and his brother was the type of person to reply right away. Shiro decided to call Keith, his worried-brother levels were surging.

Surprisingly, Keith picked up after the first ring.

“Keith? Are you okay?” he asked. His question was met with silence. “Keith?”

“Keith’s nooooooooooooot available,” a sleepy voice replied. Shiro backed his phone away from his ear. That kind of sounded like…

“Lance?” Were Keith and Lance still together?

“Yuppppp. Um, um. Who is…?” Lance’s drowsy tone evoked a yawn out of Shiro.

“It’s Shiro, Lance. Where’s Keith? Is he with you?”

Silence enveloped the phone call once again. A minute later, he heard a thud and Lance’s whine. He must have tripped, Shiro thought.

“I hate stairs…” he heard Lance mutter.

Shiro laughed to himself, those two would be quite the pair.

“Keith. Keithhhh. Shiro is calling. Keith, hey…” Lance dragged on, calling Keith to wake. Shiro heard the rustling of bedsheets and an annoyed Keith-like groan. “Sorry Shiro, he’s dead. Call later, okay? Okay. G’night…” and then Lance hung up.

Shiro stared at his phone. He grinned to himself, Keith was going to have a rude awakening tomorrow morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this clarified some questions about Keith's and Shiro's relationship!  
> Yeah... love that Kogane fam drama... more of what happened in their family will be revealed in later chapters, but for now, this is good.   
> Did everyone watch the new Voltron trailer? I'M STOKED.  
> Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter.  
> See you next update :)


	10. Chancletas

Lance didn’t know how to feel about the engagement plan. 

There were more pros than cons, sure, but… it didn’t feel right to him. It was like an itch at the back of his mind; he couldn’t pinpoint the wrongness of this whole thing.

So far, Lance and Keith strayed away from each other after they sealed the deal. Lance was in the living room of the house while Keith had shut himself in the study room. He sighed, flipping through TV channels. Was there a network that didn’t cover last night’s fiasco? There was too much going on, and it was stressing him out. He pinched the bridge of his nose at the incoming headache. “I should have never gone to the party. I should have stayed home and-”

Lance immediately paled.

He checked the wall clock and cursed under his breath. He ran to the study room, banging on the shut door, frantically. He was going to be sick. This was NOT happening. “Keith! KEITH! Open up!” He wriggled the locked doorknob. 

Keith opened the door, clearly annoyed. He had changed from his pajamas to a red hoodie and some faded jeans. He leaned against the door frame, one hand holding a phone to his ear. “No, mom, it was nothing.” Keith shook his head and pointed at his phone.  _ I’m busy. _

Lance crossed his arms, “Keith, take me to school. Right.  _ Now _ .” 

Keith frowned at the command. “Why would I take you to- No, mom. It’s just,” Keith sighed, “my fiancé.” Lance heard the female’s voice grew in rage and volume. Keith winced and removed the phone from his ear. He looked pointedly at Lance.  _ See what you did. _

Lance took the phone from Keith’s hand, “Hello, Mrs. Kogane. Pleasure to finally talk to you. Unfortunately, your son is a little busy with me right now. Call you back later. Bye!” and he hung up. 

Keith gaped at Lance. “Lance! What the hell! I’m not going to hear the end of that one!”

Lance rolled his eyes and grabbed Keith by the wrist, leading him to the garage. “You’re going to take me to school whether you like it or not.” Keith resisted Lance’s grip, held his ground and yanked Lance back. 

“And why would I do that? It’s still crazy out there. It’s not safe.” 

Lance groaned. This guy was insufferable. He did not have the time for this.    
“The paparazzi can go to hell. My final is in an hour! I can’t just not take it, Kogane!” he glared at the raven-haired man. Keith’s features softened, his eyebrows dipping. 

“Oh. Why didn’t you just say so?” 

Lord, Lance thought to himself, give me strength. 

 

Keith surprisingly obliged to Lance’s order without his usual anger, which he was grateful for. Lance slouched in the car seat, trying to hide himself from being seen through the window. Keith snorted, “You don’t have to do that. The windows are tinted.” Lance flushed, straightening up immediately to save himself from looking like a total idiot. 

Keith murmured under his breath as he drove. Lance turned to him, “Did you say something?” The driver glanced at him before returning his attention towards the road. 

“You shouldn’t have gone to the party if you were going to take a test today,” Keith grunted. They were near the university, probably 15 minutes away. Lance fidgeted with the zipper of the jacket Keith loaned him. 

“I wasn’t really given the choice.”

“Bullshit.” The response was harsh. Lance felt himself slink down his seat once again. He turned towards Keith. A prominent frown replaced his usually neutral expression. Lance felt a sudden anger quell within him.

“What do you mean ‘bullshit’? You didn’t give me time to answer.” Lance watched Keith shift in his seat. The guy called him up and hung up after stating he would be coming over. There was no room for argument. And here he is calling “bullshit”?

Keith let out a deep exhale. “When I showed up, you could have told me no. Shut the door in my face, I would have gotten the message. I would have gotten over it.”

Lance squinted his eyes at him, “No, you wouldn’t. You would have dragged me to the car.” Did Keith even know what kind of person he was? He needed a reality check. 

“No, I would not have,” Keith stated, sternly.

Lance rolled his eyes. He gazed out the window, the school was only minutes away. He began going over every equation in his head.  _ Breathe in, breathe out _ . He had this in the bag. Math was one of his worst subjects, but he had been studying for weeks. Last night was the last review session. It couldn’t hurt his grade that badly, right? 

“You always have a choice.”

Lance glanced back at Keith. He shifted the gear to park, and unlocked the passenger door. 

Lance blinked at him, trying to decide whether he imagined Keith’s words or not.

“Good luck,” Keith didn’t face Lance as he left the car. 

Keith took off the moment Lance shut the door. He watched the red car pick up speed and leave his field of vision. 

“Thanks.”

 

The test was horrid. Lance wiped his sweat. At least he was done with school for a few weeks, he supposed. He could feel the stress emitting off of him. He grinned to himself. Winter break greeted him with joy as he left the math department. The cool frost sent chills down his spine. He breathed in, taking in the snow-covered campus. There wasn’t anyone around the school. They had all gone and went back to their families to recover from the semester’s trauma. Finally, he had the time to sit back and relax. He planned on hanging out with Hunk and Pidge as much as possible before heading back to his hometown for Christmas and New Year’s. In fact, they should both be free today! Lance pulled out his phone and turned it on. 

The Cuban sat on a nearby bench and waited for his phone to glow white. His phone had been off since last night. His phone flashed and revealed his lock screen. Seconds soon after, notifications filled the silence of the courtyard. Lance widened his eyes. Messages from Pidge and Hunk popped up, some missed calls from both and hi sister? His mom, too? Lance dialed up his mom. She answered at the first ring. 

“Mamá?” he questioned, “What’s wrong? Why were you and Camila calling?”

“ _ Mijo _ .” Lance gulped, his angry-mom sensors were tingling. He ran through a quick mental list of what he might have done to piss her off. Use too much money on his bank account? Was it some relative’s birthday?

“ _ Lance Hernandez McClain!  _ Tell me one good reason why I should not fly over right now!  _ Ay, Santa Maria!  _ What have you done?!”

“Oh no, is it Tío Leo’s birthday? I thought we decided as a family to combine it with Christmas.” Lance tapped his foot impatiently. His mom gets angry over the smallest things. 

“Mijo! Who is this Keith? Ah? Why does every newspaper our store is getting have a picture of you and that man kissing?” 

Oh shit. Oh shit. Shit.  _ SHIT _ . 

“I can explain! It’s all fake, I’m doing this-”

“No more! I do not want to hear it! Come home now!”

“But Mamá!”

“ _ Te lo digo por tu bien _ ! Come home now and bring that man with you.”

“What?! I can’t-” She hung up. Lance grumbled, fighting the urge to throw his phone into the pit of snow. “Why does this keep happening to me?”

 

“Your mom wants me to what now?” 

They were back at the house. Lance called Keith right after the altercation he had with his mom. He was still shaken from her voice. She was going to beat him. The _ chancletas _ . It was over. 

“She wants you to visit. Meet the family, you know.” Lance was downplaying this whole thing. If Keith knew there was a very angry Latina waiting for him in Florida, there was no way he would come and help appease his mom. 

“Already? We were just engaged. Take me to dinner first, asshole.” 

Lance couldn’t help but grin a bit. Keith undoubtedly knew this whole situation was stressing Lance out. He appreciated the joke.

“Well, I guess it’s alright. I don’t celebrate Christmas with my family anyways.” Keith shrugged and continued typing on his laptop.

Lance momentarily forgot his maternal fear, “You don’t celebrate Christmas? Wasn’t that the whole point of the party?” 

Keith waved off the statement, “Formalities. A thank you to our benefactors. My father isn’t a fan of the holidays.” 

“No way. Christmas is the best holiday. Everyone comes over, we cook, party, have fun…” He loved Christmas. Sure, his family could get overbearing sometimes, but he loved seeing everyone during Christmas. 

“Nope. My mother doesn’t like it either. Never really celebrated, so not going to start now. You know?” Keith looked up, registering the frown on Lance’s face. “Don’t feel bad. It’s not a big deal.” 

“It  _ is _ a big deal, Keith Kogane. A  _ huge _ deal, in fact.”

Keith shrugged again, “Whatever. Anyways, the paparazzi haven’t been hounding us. Strange, but good. My father probably bribed all the big tabloid companies. The usual stalkers weren’t around when I picked you up. We should be good for a while. Just stay low.” He flicked his attention back to the monitor. 

“Hopefully they don’t… harass my family for information on us.”  _ Not that we’re safe from my family either… _

Keith scoffed, “If I can’t handle one McClain, probabilities are they won’t be able to handle a whole family of them.”

Lance shook his head, “You don’t even know, Keith. You don’t even know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all... I am so sorry I've been inactive.  
> Been through a whole lot, BUT I AM HERE TO STAY!  
> I felt so bad seeing all the comments and not being able to write...  
> Thank you everyone for giving this fanfic love and support!  
> I will start regularly updating (try to) the fanfic again!!  
> Hope everyone enjoyed this new chapter!  
> Until the next update :)


	11. Patience Yields Focus

“Three words. You’re an idiot.”

“Technically, that’s four words if you count-”

“LANCE!”

The trio sat in the kitchen of Coran’s Café. Hunk was preparing the day’s pastries while Lance and Pidge loitered around. Coran refused to schedule Lance after the scandal, much to Lance’s dismay. He enjoyed his job as a barista. The smell of coffee beans, the small talk between customers… To Lance, it was a second home.

He snuck out in the morning after Keith left for work. The man held a stern glare, ordering Lance to stay at the house. Lance hushed him up and shooed him away. Lance gave Pidge the address to Keith’s home and they picked him up.

“Remind me why you guys are here?” Hunk exhaled, pulling cinnamon rolls out of the oven.

“It’s the safest place in town. No one would think of seeing Keith Kogane’s manbride in the back of a small café.” Pidge sneered. They had been lecturing Lance for the past hour. From the car ride to the café, it was a nonstop scolding. Lance swore his ears would combust at any given moment.

“The preferred term is ‘groom.’” Lance propped his cheek on a fist and sighed. He had told both his close friends about the deal he and Keith had forged. Pidge had been very vocal about their disdain while Hunk chose to stay quiet. “It’s not even that bad. So far.”

Pidge pressed their index on Lance’s forehead, “ _So far_.”

“Keith is actually nice,” Lance admitted. “He lets me do whatever I want as long as I stay in the house.”

Pidge scoffed in disbelief. “ _As long as I stay in the house_. You’re not a pet, Lance! Don’t trust Keith Kogane! He and his father-”

“Keith is _not_ his father,” Lance retorted. Pidge crossed their arms and furrowed their eyebrows at Lance’s tone.

“I don’t know what brainwashing that guy has done to you, but there’s more to Keith Kogane than you know. My dad worked at that company for _years_. Then they let him go. He lost his job because he voiced his opinion against Keith’s father. An opinion that later ended up _saving_ the company. I worked my ass off to land an internship in that damned company, even if it’s just one of the branches. I’ll gladly watch the company collapse from within. _Do not trust him, Lance_.”

Pidge stormed out of the kitchen.

Lance bit his lower lip. That was a landmine he never intended to step on.

Pidge’s father was a brilliant man. He had met the man often when Pidge and Lance still carpooled to school. Pidge’s father would often be tinkering with little machines in silence. A shadow of the man he used to be. Pidge had told Lance about how it was impossible for their father to find another job. The Kogane Industries had destroyed the man’s reputation.

Lance ran a hand through his hair. He glanced at Hunk who was focused on icing the cinnamon rolls. It was odd for his friend to be quiet. Hunk was the one to always break up Lance’s and Pidge’s arguments.

Hunk noticed Lance’s gaze and looked up. His mouth was pulled to a thin, strained line. A silent exchange held between blue and brown eyes. Lance could feel the hurricane of emotions inside Hunk’s reserved demeanor. They had been friends for so long. The slightest mannerisms weaved entire tales. Hunk was upset with Lance. It was telltale now that Lance changed his attention from Pidge to Hunk. His cinnamon rolls were slightly burnt, and the frosting weren’t the usual perfect swirls. An anomaly for the diligent baker.

_I want the best for you, Lance_.

Hunk returned to his work.

Lance dug his nails into his arm.

_Me too, Hunk_.

 

 

Keith knew Lance had left the house. Unbeknownst of Lance, Keith had set up a tracker in Lance’s phone.

“Stalker,” Shiro clicked his tongue.

The two were in Keith’s office. Keith had been staring at his phone for the entirety of their meeting. The blue cat icon flashed on the tracker app on his phone. One of his interns had programmed for him a while ago. He didn’t find a need for it until now. Perhaps he would give the intern a higher pay.

 “It’s for his safety,” Keith remarked. There was no way he could make Lance stay in the house – Keith knew that. He was a free-spirit. A rebel. His mother and Lance would get along very well.

Speaking of mothers…

“Lance’s mom wants to meet me,” he informed Shiro. Lance told him a few days ago, but the invitation had faded to the back of his mind.

“The in-laws?” cooed Shiro. Keith scrunched his face up. He didn’t understand why Lance’s mom would want to meet him. Keith’s mom sure did not want to meet Lance, especially not after Lance’s disastrous phone call with her. It was the first thing his mom brought it up during their daily phone calls.

“Yeah, we’re going to Florida next week.” They already bought the tickets. Lance refused to let Keith pay, but stubbornly agreed once he checked his bank account.

“Oh, it’s going to be so nice and warm,” Shiro sighed, “I’m sick of the snow. Take me with you.”

Keith chuckled, “Be my guest.”

“Nervous?”

No, Keith shook his head. The nauseous feeling could not be pinpointed with a single word.  His stomach felt like a bottomless pit – an abyss he eagerly wanted to climb out of. His palms sweated at the very thought of meeting Lance’s family. It would be his entire family, Lance had reminded him. Everyone in the States would come and celebrate at Mama McClain’s home.

“He has five siblings; that’s five times as many that I have,” Keith gulped.

Shiro pursed his lips, “That’s rude of you to forget Acxa. Or maybe you didn’t count me.”

“That’s not the point, Shiro! They think this engagement is _real_. Once we break it off, I will be on top of the McClain hitlist!”

“That’s what you’re worried about?”

“Yes!”

“You suck at lying, Keith.”

Keith huffed, turning his head away from Shiro.

“Why don’t you just tell him,” Shiro emphasized, “the _truth_.”

“What truth?”

“That you have an _obvious_ crush on him,” Shiro rubbed his temples, “I should have listened to my mother and joined the army.”

Keith spluttered at Shiro’s accusation. The tips of his ears reddened at Shiro’s knowing look. Keith did not think of Lance that way. This was strictly a business deal.

“This is a business deal,” Keith repeated his thoughts aloud.

Shiro cocked an eyebrow at Keith.

Keith felt like a tomato under Shiro’s eye.

“Either way, Lance…doesn’t swing that way.”

“You don’t know that, Keith,” Shiro reassured, clasping a hand on Keith’s shoulder.

Lance made it clear he was straight. Keith wasn’t blind. The crush Lance had on Allura was a red flag enough. He didn’t blame him either. Allura was an ethereal being. She deserved all the love she received from others. Even Lance’s.

“He’s in love with your girlfriend, dummy.” Keith shrugged off Shiro’s hand. He sat back down onto his armchair.

“She is _not_ my girlfriend.”

Keith crooked a grin, “Now, who’s the one that’s lying?”

Shiro flushed, turning away from Keith in an attempt to hide his red cheeks. Keith laughed at his assistant. Shiro echoed the laugh.

 

Shiro cleared his throat, “Father is furious with you.”

Oh, Keith thought, he better be. He was sick of his father. The engagement was the last straw. How dare he? Keith clenched his fist. “Good. He should be.”

“Keith… don’t push it. Father will not show you mercy if you keep acting up. Trust me, I know.”

Keith couldn’t help but gaze at Shiro’s scar. The scar served as a reminder for Keith. A reminder of what happened to people that didn’t fit in his father’s cookie cutter. His father threw away Shiro and his mother “for the sake of the company.”

“Screw him,” he said in disdain. “I don’t know why you listen to him; why you act like he didn’t do that to your mom.”

“Keith, nothing comes out of blind anger. Pat-”

“ _Patience yields focus_.”

The motto was a frequent lesson in the many lectures given by Shiro to Keith. It was ingrained in his head the moment Shiro started working for him. At this point, it was a mantra.

“Patience yields focus,” Shiro reciprocated. His eyes flickered to his wristwatch. “Well, I have a meeting at the main company in half an hour. Duty calls.”

Keith sighed and stood up to follow Shiro to his office door.

“One day,” Keith swore, “it’ll be your company.”

Shiro widened his eyes. He muttered something under his breath, inaudible to Keith, and ruffled Keith’s hair.

“Patience yields focus,” his older brother repeated.

“Patience yields focus,” Keith whispered back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all!  
> Things are getting /pretty/ heated.  
> And I just love writing about the Garrison Trio?? Don't know if you could tell haha  
> Next chapter will be up next week!! Already started writing it :)  
> Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter.  
> See you next update! (:  
> oh... and klance is cannon king god bless jeremy shada


	12. Take Flight

They both put off packing until the night before. They were frantically running around the house and shoving their belongings into their respective suitcases. Lance made Keith repack about five times. 

“What’s wrong with my outfits?” Keith pouted.

Lance shook his head at the amount of black clothing Keith had. “You’re going to burn there,” he tossed out the seventh black v-neck in the suitcase. “It may be snowy here, but Vero Beach is scorching hot. Even in the wintertime.”

“I checked the weather. It says it’ll be mid 60s the entire time we’re there. Trust me, I’ve been through worse.” Keith folded the black shirts back. “It’s way hotter in Texas.”

Lance snorted, “What does Texas have to do with anything?”

Keith mumbled something incoherent before proceeding to pack his black jeans. Lance rolled his eyes before taking them out of the suitcase. “You’re going to need shorts, buddy.” Keith glared but complied, fishing out shorts from his drawers. “Black shorts, too, Keith? Really?”

“I have more pairs, but there’s no way in hell I’m wearing  _ those _ .” He sneered at the closet. Lance smirked and went over to dig through the goth’s closet. Keith could hear Lance laugh and he groaned. Lance held up the red, white, and blue shorts. 

“How patriotic,” Lance teased and laughed at the giant star on the back pocket. 

“My mom is very… proud of our Texan heritage.” 

“I need to meet your mom then!” Lance held his stomach, it was starting to hurt from laughing. He wiped the tears from his eyes, “I didn’t know you were from Texas.”

Keith shrugged, pushing aside his suitcase. “Not something to really brag about. Every time I mention it,” he struggled, “they start making jokes about it. Which I  _ love _ to hear.” 

Lance watched Keith sigh and lean against the wall. 

“You know,” Lance cleared his throat, “I don’t know a thing about you.” He knew the basics of the Kogane. Rich, powerful…that was the extent of it. A family that rose from the ground up and refused to yield to its competitors. Lance suppressed a shudder from the thought. No, he reminded himself, Keith was different. A different person from the images media painted of him. 

Keith stared at Lance. He tilted his head as Lance returned his gaze, “Well, what do you want to know about me?”

They spent the rest of the night talking, learning about each other, packing forgotten.

 

Lance dreamt of Texas. He had never been to the state before, but from Keith’s description of his home, Lance felt like he grew up in Texas his entire life. He envisioned the quiet desert town whose name he had already forgotten: the small playground across the street from Keith’s childhood home with its rusty swings and worn out slides, the tumbleweeds that got stuck in his mother’s truck (“She made me pull them out,” Keith groaned, “sometimes I still feel the thorns.), and the barbeques that would be held every Saturday at his neighbor’s house. Lance was surprised to learn that Keith was raised in a small town and that he preferred the quietness of the rural countryside over the city life. And that he had a sweet tooth, especially for anything apple flavored. And that…

An alarm blared into his ear. Lance grunted at the noise, hoisting himself up from the bed. 

He felt like shit. 

Lance rubbed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. He blinked the sleep away and tried to muster all the strength to leave the warmth of his comforter. 

Home, he sighed, he was going home today.

 

Keith couldn’t remember the last time he was able to sleep without waking up in the middle of the night.  _ The last time you slept with Lance _ . He erased the thought immediately. Keith’s throat felt dry. He and Keith spoke for a while after the unproductive packing. He’s never seen Lance speak so lively. Keith made an effort to remember everything Lance told him about. Luis, Camila, Veronica, Marco and Mariana… Lance told him all about his siblings. Fondly, Keith noted. He could tell that Lance loved his family. He went through the entire family tree and did not waste a breath about every detail of each relative’s lives. Keith chuckled, their conversation last night eased some nerves Keith had about the family visit. 

They arrived at the airport early. Keith made it a goal to be there an hour before their flight. He rushed Lance out of his bathroom. Now, Lance was pissed at him. His ear ached the entire car ride there. If this was what married life was, Keith would count his blessings. 

“Are you still mad?”

The couple sat in their terminal. Lance heatedly sipped his iced coffee. 

“Mad about what?”

“Lance-”

The Cuban male continued to sip his drink and avoided looking in Keith’s direction. Keith sighed,  _ patience yields focus _ . 

“Lance, I am sorry I didn’t let you finish your morning routine.”  Lance slightly inclined his head to acknowledge Keith. Keith sighed once again, “I promise to leave you to your…  _ beauty routine _ next time.”

“My skin doesn’t look this flawless without effort, Kogane.” Lance repositioned his sunglasses.

“Okay, but can you take off your sunglasses? We’re inside. There’s no need for them.”

Lance huffed in response.

 

Once they boarded the plane, the two of them knocked out. It was going to be a three-hour flight and they both planned on sleeping all the way. Or so was the plan. 

The turbulence woke Keith up. He usually booked first class flights, but the last-minute invite forced him to downgrade to economy. He frowned as the plane shook. He glanced at his partner and exhaled at the sleeping figure. Lance was decked out in airport fashion. He had a blue neck pillow and blue blanket to match. His eyes were covered with a blue sleeping mask speckled with black paw prints. And he was drooling. With  _ immense _ restraint, Keith pulled out his phone and took a picture of the Sleeping Beauty. 

Keith kept himself occupied the entire three hours. Tried to at least. He busied himself with work. Thankfully, he packed his laptop in his carry-on bag. There was a lot going on with the company. Shiro was handling most of it during Keith’s “vacation time” but some paperwork had to go through an executive. There was a pending request of a collaboration with the Balmera Corporation which Keith blatantly tried to ignore. He assumed they would withdraw the request after the stunt he pulled at his father’s event. The email stared at him. His father still clung onto the hope that Keith would go through with the engagement. To hell with that. The benefits that came with the proposal would definitely help his company. Keith wasn’t stupid and his father knew that. Sales weren’t as high as Keith expected them to be. Assistance from a major company like the Balmera Corporation would change that. He clicked his tongue, the smart bastard. 

Keith minimized the request and focused on other important matters. Keith checked his watch and banged the back of his head against his seat. Two more hours to go. He cracked his knuckles and went back to work. 

The flight went smoother as time passed. Keith was able to fall asleep. He stirred from the sound of the intercom. The pilot was announcing something…but Keith could not care less. He was tired. 

“We’re almost there,” a voice whispered. Keith opened his eyes at Lance’s voice, suddenly aware of his surroundings. 

Keith expected his neck to cramp from his sleeping position, but it felt oddly okay. Confused, Keith lifted his head and met eyes with Lance.  

“I’m told I have soft shoulders,” Lance grinned, “but can you not drool on me next time?” 

Keith paled, earning a chuckle from Lance

“I-I didn’t-!” Keith stuttered, a blush spreading across his cheeks. 

“Relax man. I have comfortable shoulders and they need to be shared with the world,” Lance winked. 

Keith glowed bright red.

 

“I think Veronica is supposed to pick us up.”

They were standing inside the arrival lobby. Lance was talking to his sister on his phone. Keith didn’t speak Spanish, but from the looks they were receiving, their conversation wasn’t pretty. Keith went outside for a breather and was amazed with the view. The city was beautiful. The warm, humid breeze welcomed Keith. It was weird seeing green and not white during winter. He reveled in it. From the distance, there was the ocean. What he wouldn’t give to jump into the water right now.

“V should be here any moment,” Lance popped up next to him. Lance took in a deep breath and smiled. “Home sweet home.”

Lance was truly in his element, Keith thought. The sun shone off his olive skin and the blue of his eyes could rival the sea and the sky. Keith couldn’t take his eyes off of him. 

“What?” Lance turned to him, a lazy smile gracing on his lips.

“Nothing,” Keith forced himself to look away, “just admiring the view.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summer classes are OVER which means I am 100% dedicated to this fanfic.  
> LET'S KEEP THE BALL ROLLING!!  
> Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter!!  
> I had a great time writing it :)))  
> And thank you so much for all the kudos and comments I love getting the notifications about it!!   
> So happy everyone is loving this story!!  
> See you next update!!


	13. Dead on Arrival

The moment the plane landed, Lance’s heart accelerated.

Home.  _ Home _ .

It’s been months since he’s been back to Vero Beach. He tried to go home multiple times, but school, bills, and work kept getting in the way. The last time he visited was for his birthday. Wow, he thought, it’s been half a year. 

Lance has been going home less and less and that took a toll on him. He moved out for college about two years ago. He used to be able to go every couple months or so. The homesick feeling was always there, and Lance knew it would never go away. He missed his family. He missed the noise. His one-bedroom apartment was soundless. He never thought that he would miss his mom yelling at him to do the chores or having to watch after all his nieces and nephews while their parents went to work. It was a pain, he used to complain to his then-internet friend, Hunk; he didn’t want to waste his youth watching a bunch of children. Now, Lance wished he spent a little more time with all of them. 

He squinted out the airport window. His sister, Veronica, was late. Lance should have known; Veronica loved to sleep in. She was only a year older than Lance, but she made sure he knew who was boss. She recently got married and the family hoped that would mellow her out, but she was still the fierce cubana everyone in Vero Beach feared. 

“Is being late a McClain trait?” Keith joked. Lance blew a raspberry at Keith.

“No, we’re just too awesome to give a crap about time,” Lance answered. “Oh,” Lance checked his phone, “V is here.”

 

His sister was leaning against her bright red convertible. Lance frowned at the car. The vehicle was his sisters “baby.” She didn’t let anyone touch it, not even her husband. 

“ _ Lancito! _ ” she called them over. Keith and Lance exchanged looks before walking towards the wavy-haired woman. Veronica hugged her brother before placing him into a headlock. “I’ve missed you so much, baby brother,” she sang, “ _ pero _ , you’re a lot shorter than I remember.” Lance struggled to remove himself from her grip.

“Ah,” she let him go and focused her attention to Keith, who was standing there awkwardly staring at the siblings. “You must be Keith Kogane.” Lance swore Keith’s soul left his body.

The car ride was anything but quiet. His sister’s chatter was louder than the radio. Veronica forced Keith into the passenger seat and shoved Lance into the back. Lance could tell Keith was overwhelmed by his sister’s personality. Veronica was telling Keith her entire life story and would ask, no,  _ interrogate _ Keith about his. Keith was uncomfortable, shifting in his seat after replying to his sister’s questions. It was a little amusing, Lance thought. He didn’t think he would live to see the day that someone would make Keith Kogane squirm in his seat. 

Keith looked at Lance through the rearview mirror, eyes pleading for help. Lance could only shrug and laugh. 

 

His family lived 20 minutes away from cityside of Vero Beach, but with Veronica’s driving , it took half the time. Lance’s heart was pounding. Most of the McClains should already be there. Christmas was a few days away. Lance was the last McClain kid to come home. His smile spread wider as they drove closer and closer. They were all waiting for them. “Tío Lance!” one of his nephews yelled, running up to the car as they parked. Lance rushed out of the car and grabbed the little boy, showering him with kisses and squeezing him to death. “I’m home, Antonio.”

 

Keith took their luggage out of the car. Lance was busy laughing and talking to his family. Keith felt out of place. Veronica scared the shit out of him and now he needed to face the rest of the McClains. He scratched his neck, this was going to be a long week. 

“Hey, I’ll help you with that,” a muscular man took the suitcase from Keith’s hand. He was an older Lance. The chocolate locks went a little past his neck and he sported a growly beard. His eyes were a softer shade of ocean-blue, and he was…big. Keith gaped at the man’s arms and legs. One wrong move and this man would crush Keith. His throat bobbed, these McClains were dangerous. 

“I’m Luis by the way. Lance’s older brother,” he clapped his hand on Keith’s shoulder with the force of a thousand men. 

“Welcome to the family.” 

Keith’s knees felt weak. 

 

Keith didn’t know what to do with himself. Lance abandoned him in the living room. Keith spent the time to look around the house. The living room was covered with family pictures. He took the time to examine them one by one. There was a photo of the man Keith met minutes ago, Luis. The man had his arms around a petite, blonde woman. Two boys sat in the woman’s lap and another boy rode Luis’s shoulders. “Luis and Anna. Gael, Mateo, and Antonio.” Lance had shown multiple photos on his phone of the boys. From what he told Keith, Gael and Mateo were a handful and Antonio was his favorite nephew. 

The next photo was of Camila and Areli. Keith remembered Lance’s niece from their first encounter. The two lived in the same city as them, it was weird they didn’t officially meet Keith yet. He didn’t blame them, he wouldn’t want to meet someone like himself either. 

“Keith,” Lance entered the room, out of breath. 

Keith stepped away from the family photos, relieved to see his familiar face. 

“Sorry, I left you here. We were catching up and I kind of forgot,” he scratched his cheek, “Anyways, everyone’s ready to meet you, uh, officially.” 

Lance held out a hand, “Ready?”

Keith glanced at the hand and was reminded of the night of the party. He hesitated.

“Come on, there’s nothing to be afraid of,” Lance muttered. He took Keith’s hand and lightly squeezed it. “Plus, I’ll be there with you.” Keith bowed his head and let Lance drag him to the other room. 

 

Keith was cornered. Blue and brown eyes followed them as they both walked into the room. 

Lance cleared his throat, “So, uh, everyone. This is Keith Kogane, my…fiancé. Keith, this is my family.”

Keith straightened himself up, weakly raising his hand. 

“H-hello,” his voice cracked. 

“So, you’re the boy, ah?” the voice belonged to a woman sitting in the midst of the McClain family. She crossed her arms and the Lance-like eyes glowered at Keith. 

“Mamá, please,” Lance groaned.

_ Mamá. Mamá. Mamá. _

The word echoed in Keith’s mind.

He was sweltering. He thought his mother was scary, but Lance’s mom glare bore into Keith. She had a stare that could rival Medusa’s. Keith gulped. 

“Y-yes.”

“¿ _ Qué _ ? Why are you hesitating? Answer properly!”

“Yes!” 

The woman clicked her tongue at Keith. The room’s silence was deafening.

“Anyways!” Lance exclaimed. “This is my family!”

There wasn’t a single movement in the room. Keith was afraid to look away from Mamá McClain. Like a predator observing its prey, she would pounce at him if he showed any weakness. From the corner of his eye, he could see Luis whisper to Veronica. The woman flipped her hair and let out an exasperated sigh.  

“This serious atmosphere is too much. Mamá, come, let’s go to the store like we planned. We’re missing…” Veronica trailed on, dragging their mother out of the room. 

“Sorry, Mama isn’t really thrilled about Lance getting married,” one of Lance’s sisters snorted. She grinned at Keith. “I’m Mariana, Lance’s younger sister. Glad we get to finally meet you.” The boy standing next to Mariana flashed Keith an identical smile. 

“I’m Marco, Mariana’s twin. I’m older by three seconds,” he shook Keith’s hand. 

“He says that to everyone we meet. It’s the only thing he’s got going for him,” Mariana snickered. The twins started to banter (“Yeah, well, Mama loves me more!” “No, she does not!”). Lance shook his head and tried to break up their fight, only to be drawn into another argument. 

Camila walked up to Keith, face devoid of emotion, looked him up and down and left the room without saying a word. Luis sighed, apologized to Keith, and called after Camila. 

Lance rubbed his temples, “This is my mess of a family. Welcome to the club.”

Keith was nauseous.

 

Marco and Mariana were pleasant to talk to. They kept Keith company while Lance spoke with Luis and Camila in the kitchen. 

“So, how’d you meet him?” Mariana elbowed Keith. “Was it love at first sight? How did you know he was the one? Who proposed?” 

“Gee, Mari, let the guy talk!” Marco pinched his sister’s arm. Mariana yelped in pain and pulled her twin’s ear. 

Keith was lost. His mind was trying to process the past 15 minutes. Lance’s mom did not like him. She wasn’t afraid to hide the fact. Same with Camila. At least the majority of Lance’s family liked him, Keith thought optimistically. 

“We met through mutual friends.” 

Keith and Lance had woven the fake love tale days before the flight. Some friends introduced them to each other, they hit it off, fell in love, and the rest was history. Lance said it was a boring backstory, but Keith refused to include any of Lance’s sappy suggestions. 

“That’s boring. Tell me the juicy details,” Mariana urged Keith.    
“Uh, well… Lance isn’t bad looking.” That clearly wasn’t what Mariana was looking for. The twins rolled their eyes.

“Okay. So, you think Lance is hot,” she interpreted. “What else?”

Keith was too exhausted to fight her on the ridiculous statement. 

“He’s nice. Good cook. Hardworking.” 

The two teens were baffled. “This isn’t a job interview,” Marco shook his head. “How about this… why do you want to marry him?”

Keith pondered at the question. It wasn’t something the two discussed thoroughly. Lance had said his family wouldn’t divulge in the details of their relationship that much. Keith’s head pounded. He had to feed them a satisfying answer if he wanted them to stop asking questions.  

“He cares. He’s sensitive to people. Especially in my case… emotions aren’t my strong suit. Lance isn’t afraid to show that he cares. Something I wish I could do… I guess you could say he makes up for things I lack. My…better half.” 

They squealed, holding each other with tears in their eyes. That practically melted the twins’ heart. “True love! It’s true love!” they chanted.

Lance should reward him with a gold medal for that response. Keith grinned to himself, not that Lance would ever hear him say any of it.

“Aw, babe, I didn’t know you felt that way about  me.”

Keith slowly turned towards the doorway of the living room. His fiancé displayed a lopsided grin, eyes twinkling with mirth. 

Keith wanted to scream. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I can't believe I uploaded a new chapter the next day...  
> Well, the McClains have arrived. The next couple of chapters will be surrounded by McClain shenanigans and how poor Keith has to adjust with his "in-laws."  
> Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter!!  
> Thank you, thank you for giving this fic attention and love!!  
> See you next update!


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